Smoke consumer and soot blower



W. D. BOYCE SMOKE CONSUMER AND 500T BLOWER July 31, 1928. 1,678,764

Filed March 6-, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 31, 1928. 1,678,764

- w. D. BOYCE SMOKE CONSUMER AND 500']? BLOWER Filed March 1926 2 Sheets-$heet 2 WILL/Al! 0.50m"

K ferred to.

Patented July 31, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. BOYCE, OF NEW YORK, N.

SMOKE CONSUMER AND SO01 BLOWER.

Application filed March 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,883.

My invention has relation to improve ments in smoke consumers for fire-boxes, particularly those of locomotives, the device combining with its properties of a smoke consumer those of a soot blower;it consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims. i

The present invention is an improvement over that forming the subject matter of my Patent No. 1,276,166 issued on AugustQO, 1918, and has for its object the provision of a more efficient structure and one possessing more advantages than that of the patent re- Among the advantages of the inventlon are the following;

1. superheated steam from the locomo tive steam pipe is injected intothe fire-box instead of exhaust steam.

2. The steam is discharged into the firebox over the arch thereof, instead-of under the arch, where it better serves to assist in the combustion of unburned fuel products.

3. The steam nozzle for injecting the steam into the fire-box is located in close proximity to the crown-sheet of the firebox where the temperature is sufficiently reduced to assist in preserving the nozzle.

t/The nozzle is adjustable both laterally and vertically so as to direct the steam jet to any desired point in the firebox. This adjustment is also advantageous in adjusting standard equipment to fire-boxes of different sizes and shapes.

5. The connection to the locomotive steam pipe for supplying steam to the nozzle automatically regulates the quantity of steam injected into the fire-box in accordance with the need thereforand in proportion to the steam'supply to the cylinders.

In addition to the above advantages, I have provided the steam nozzles witha connection to the locomotive blower pipe so that steam' will automatically be inject-ed into the fire-box upon operating the blower pipe to assist in the combustion of the fuel at such times as well as accelerating the draft through the boiler fiues for the dislodgement of any solid fuel particles or foreign matter deposited therein. I have also provided the steam nozzles with a connection to the steam dome of the boiler (or steam manifold within the cab) underin dependent valve control so that the engineer or fireman may cause steam to d1scharge therefrom against the fiues for the purpose and Fig. 3 represents an enlarged elevational View of the steam nozzle,'a part of the water-leg being shown in section, andthe connections passing through the water-leg, and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the steam nozzle; that is, looking toward the steam discharge openings.

Preliminary to describing the invention in detail,.a brief introductory.explanation of the difficulties that are ordinarily, c0ntended with in the operation of locomotives may not be amiss. The soot deposit from tarry vapors and small cinders produced by incomplete combustion in the fire-box accumulates around the superheater units, choking up the fiues containing these units to a very considerable degree as a rule there are from thirty to forty superheater tubes in a locomotive, depending upon the size of the locomotive, and due to their choking up, in a very short time there are from twenty to forty per centum of these units out of commission- This not only causes a big reduction in superheater temperature, but also causes. a reduction of steam generating surface since the larger tubes containing the superheater units are rendered ine'lfective. viously, the clogging up of tubes also occurs in engines without superheaters, although tov a somewhat less degree.

One great difficulty encountered in the operation of locomotives is the accumulation of clink'ers and slag on the flue-sheet in the fire-box. This is usually called honey-combe ing and is caused generally by fire clay and other products being projected against the flue-sheet while soft and then burning into a slag or clinker. After honeycombing has commenced, it'frequently extends over many tubes, both large and small, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for an engine to die for want of steam. It is the purpose of my as the clogging of the fiues with soot and 7 box. Consequently, there is little or no soot admitted to the boiler fines.

The operation of the invention as well as the construction thereof will be better understood by referring to the drawings in which B represents a locomotive boiler, F

the firebox thereof bounded on the rearby a water-leg L, at the front by a fine-sheet S, andat the topby a crown-sheet C. G represents the grate and Athe fire-box arch.

The boiler B is provided with the usual fiues 1 and 2, the latter being larger than the former for the accommodation of the superheater units 3, said superheater units being connected'at one end to a manifold 4 from which a steam pipe 5 leads to the locomotive cylinders 6. The larger superheater flues 2 are partitioned off from the smaller fines 1 by means of a partition 7 in the smoke-boKS and'a damper 9 operated, as well uneerstood in the art, in connection with the throttle. The boiler is provided with the usual blower pipe 1.0 leading from the steam dome 11 (or a manifold Within the cab) to the smoke-box 8, a valve 12 being provided at the rear of the fire-box within easy reach of the engineer when in his cab.

A pipe 13 leads from the locomotive steam pipe 5 to the rear of-the back-head or waterleg L of the boiler where it has a branch pipe 14. connected to it, said branch pipe is terminating at both ends in short connections 15 passing through hollow stay-bolts 16 in the back-head, the connections 15 having mounted on their inner ends (that is, the ends within the fire-box) elbows 1'? and 18, in the latter of which the steam nozzles 19 for injecting the steam jets into the firebox are fixed. It will be observed that the connections 15 pass through the back-head at a height that will bring the nozzles 19 together with their connections above the arch A. The nozzles are widely spaced apart as shown in Fig. 2 and are adjusted by means of the elbows 17 and 18 so as to discharge their etean'i jets toward the center of the flue-sheet S. As in my patent above referred to, I provide hoods 20, 20 which are secured to the rear Wall of'the back-head in any approved manner, said hood being open at'the bottom and extending down to the bottom of said. back-head. Hollow staybolts 21 are also provided beneath the hoods 20 so that air may be drawn through the open bottom of the hoods 20 through the hollow stay-bolts 21 into the fire-box, which air is mixed with the combustible gases from the fuel by means of the steam jets issuing from the nozzles 19. Bearing in mind that the steam issuing from the nozzles 19 is superheated steam at a temperature in excess of six hundred degrees F., at which temperature it is a gas, it exercises great potency in effecting a thorough commingling of air and combustible gases to insure practically complete combustion, and consequently, eliminate smoke and soot and prevent the deposit of tarry vapors onthe' flue-sheet S and in the tubes.

Obviously, in starting up the fire'in the fire-box, there is no steam available in the boiler although it is desirable to inject steam into the fire-box to assist in combustion. In order that steam may be available undersuch conditions, I have provided a connec tion 22 in the pipe 13 under the steam pipe 5, said connection being controlledby a valve 23 and terminating in a threaded fitting 2 1- on which may be screwed a hose connected to the'source of steam supply within the round-house. In order that the steam pass ill) ing through the connection 22 may not enter i the steam pipe 5, I place a check valve 25 between the steam pipe and the connection 22. Vhile it is true that when the fire is first started the discharge of steam into the fire-box has only a sort of smothering'or washing effect, nevertheless, as the heat becomes greater, the resulting improved combustion is manifest because the blast of steam JUN over the arch toward the tubes increases the draft and the engine raises steam quicker.

As is well known, the blower is operated frequently to raise steam pressure when engines are standing on sidings or in stations and is also frequently used to help prevent the discharge of smoke from the stack. I have found that the discharge of steam into the fire-box at the same time. that steam is discharged from the blower pipe'10 for the purposes mentioned, causes the combustible gases in the fire-box to become more thoroughly mixed with the air to burn practically all combustible products without discharging them from the stack, and'I have provided, there-fore, connection'26 to'the blower pipe. 10, said connection being made beneath the blower valve 12, and leading to the branch pipe 14. A valve 27 is provided for closing oflccommunication between the blower pipe 10 and branch pipe 14 when desired and a check valve 28 is also provided in the connecting pipe 26, said check valve operatingto prevent the passage of steam through the connecting pipe 26 to the blower pipe 10 from the branch pipe 14. When the engineer opens his blower valve12, steam will be discharged into the smoke-box 8, and

19 into the fire-box.

at the same time a flow of steam will pass through the connecting pipe 26 to the branch pipe 14; and will discharge from the nozzles In adidtion to. the better combustion efiected by the discharge of steam over the arch in the fire-box at the same time the blower is operated, there will also be a dislodgment of soot that may have accumulated in the fines so that this feature of the invention possesses the advantages of a soot blower as well as smoke consumer. In order that the steam admitted to the nozzles through the. connection 26 may not pass through the pipe 13, I provide a check valve 29 in the pipe 13 as Close as possible to the vertical part 13 thereof.

An important function subserved by the nozzles 19 is that of a soot and dust blower per so which is accomplished by connecting the branch pipe let to thesteam dome 11 by means of a pipe 30. The flow of steam through the pipe 30 to the branch pipe 14: is controlled by a valve 31 lodged in said pipe under the branch 14, said valve being closed at all times except when the accumulation of soot and dust within the tubes makes it necessary to clean them. When the damper 9 in the smoke-box 8 is closed. the draft is very greatly reduced through the fines with the result that soot deposits are formed in the tubes and around the superhcater units 3. The leakage through the damper is just suflicient to draw soot into the tubes, but not sufficient to draw it through. Consequently, with such deposits in the tubes, if the engine starts working with a light throttle, many small cinders will stick to thetarry deposits therein and will eventually plug up the flues. The function of the nozzles 19 as a soot blower is for the purpose of dislodging such deposits. The most effective manner for op erating the nozzles as a soot blower is to open the blower valve 12 to accelerate the draft through the tubes and at the. same time open the soot blower valve 31 to discharge steam against the fluesheet S and into the tubes. With the blower operating and the steam discharging through the tubes, the fireman or locomotive attendant then opens the damper 9 by hand, causing a maximum draft through the superheater fiues 2. This draft caused by the action of the blower and the rush of steam through the fines from the nozzles 19 readily dislodges any soot and dust deposits in the fines. However, 'when the engine is in operation the soot blower is operated by merely opening the valve 31 wide and making a few strong exhausts at the time of moving away from a terminal or siding.

The soot and dust blower may also be effectively operated in the following manner:

When engines come in from a run, and are taken to the cinder p1t to have the fire knocked out or dumped, theblower valve before mentioned is always opened. The fire knocker does this to keep dust from coming out of the fire door, and to carry this dust up the smoke stack. The steam pressure on the boiler at such times is usually around 100 or 125 pounds instead of the 200 pounds working pressure, and the blower action is not very strong. It does not carry this dust through the flues and up the stack, and if the engine is equipped with a superheater damper, one can readily understand how the dust can accumulate around the superheater units. It is more or less of a custom for the fire knocker to prop the damper open, but even this has little effect towards removing the dust; it only causes it to be further carried into the vtubes. If the sootblower valve 31 is entirely open at the time this is done and the damper. is open, all ofthis dust is carried through the tubes and up the smoke stack, in which case the engines go into the round-house with clean tubes and fire boxes, which aids the boiler maker in his inspection and work. Of course, in the case of engines that have no dampers, all that is necessary is to turn on blower and open the valve 31. Sometimes in mountainous: sections, engines drift with their train down grade for long distances, and when so doing, the blower is not in use and in order to keep some steam going through the superheater units, they have the throttle slightly cracked. In many cases, engines are equipped with a little auxiliary valve about a 1 valve, which is called a drifting valve; this valve is operated by a lever, and admits a small amount of steam to the cylinders through the superheater units. This gives sufiicient steam to protect the units and is in use on all engines where no damper isused. There is a draft through the tubes at such times, but it is not strong and such a steam supply does not give much of any pressure through the nozzles 19. In a drift of ten or fifteen miles, there might be some accumulation of honeycombing on the flue-sheet, particularly if the fire door would be kept partially open. Should such an accumulation of honeycombing take place, it would of course take a little time to loosen it and remove it by means of the steam supply from the front steam pipe, so the soot blower becomes eifective for this purpose. If the soot blower valve 31 is opened any time the engine is running, the honeycombing will become loosened, broken up, and will fall ofi". It is ordinarily not necessary to resort to this, but it is a fact that this soot blower provides an effective means for removing honeycombing, if honeycombing should accumulate in spite of our other provision for preventing same.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a locomotive boiler and fire-box, the latter being bounded on the proximity to 'top by a crown-sheet, on the rear by a waterleg and on the front by a flue-sheet, suitable openings in thewater-leg tor admitting atmospheric air to-the fire-box, a jet nozzle disposed in said fire-box above the arch and in close proximity to the crown-sheet, said nozzle being arranged to direct a jet OI" lsteam toward the flue-sheet, means for adj usting said nozzles to any position in three planes to vary the line of steam pro ection, and suitable connections between said nozzle and locomotive steam pipe for supplying "a steam connection between the nozzle and blower pipe for supplying steam to said nozzle simultaneously with the operation or" the blower pipe. V

3. In combination with a locomotive-boiler and fire-box, a device of thecharacter described comprising a jet nozzle disposed in said tire-box above the arch and in close proximity to the crown-sheet thereof, said nozzle being arranged to direct a jet of steam toward the flue-sheet, suitable connections between the nozzle and the locomotive steam pipe for supplying steam to the nozzle, a steam connection between the nozzle and blower pipe for supplying steamto said nozzle simultaneously with the operation of the blower pipe, a steam connection between the nozzle and steam dome for supplying steam at normal boiler pressure to said nozzle and a valve control therefor.

4c. In combination with a locomotive boiler and fire-box, the latter being bounded on the top by a crown-sheet, on the rear by a water-leg and on the front by a flue-sheet, suitable openings in the water-leg for admitting atmospheric air-to the fire-box, a jet nozzle disposed in said fire-box above the arch and in close proximity to the crown sheet, said nozzle'being arranged to direct a jet of steam toward the flue-sheet, means for adjusting said nozzles to any position in three planes to vary the line of steam projection, and suitable connections between said nozzle and locomotive boiler for supplythe steam to the'nozzle.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiiX my signature. 

